Vanderbilt football is fresh off bowl eligibility with a win over Auburn last week. Now, the Commodores will return home in front of a sold-out crowd against South Carolina at FirstBank Stadium (3:15 p.m., SEC Network).

Vanderbilt (6-3, 3-2 SEC) faces a long losing streak to the Gamecocks (5-3, 3-3) with plenty of motivation to snap it. But the Commodores also have a few key players, most notably Diego Pavia and Sedrick Alexander, banged up and have not scored more than 24 points in a game since beating Alabama.

Vanderbilt and South Carolina had an argument to be ranked in the first College Football Playoff rankings of the 2024 season, but both teams were left out.

Here’s what you need to know about the matchup:

Vanderbilt football has lost 15 straight games to South Carolina

Vanderbilt’s most recent win over South Carolina was four Commodores coaches and three Gamecocks coaches ago, when Bobby Johnson’s Vanderbilt team defeated Steve Spurrier’s South Carolina, 24-17 in 2008.

Since then, the Commodores have lost 15 straight games in the series. Vanderbilt dropped a heartbreaker in 2021, 21-20, but the last two matchups have been significant margins for South Carolina, including a 47-6 loss in Columbia last season.

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Diego Pavia, LaNorris Sellers are dual-threat quarterbacks

Pavia (62.56 yards per game) and South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers (50.43 yards per game) are the top two quarterbacks in the SEC in rushing yards and rushing attempts per game. In passing yards per game, Pavia is 11th and Sellers is 12th among the SEC’s 16 starting quarterbacks. In passing attempts per game, Sellers is 12th and Pavia is 13th.

Both teams have a run-heavy offense, with the Gamecocks leaning on Sellers and running back Rocket Sanders, while Vanderbilt has Pavia and Alexander.

Both offenses rely heavily on the run, both from running backs and quarterbacks, to be effective. With both defenses practicing against this type of offense, it may be hard for either team to get an edge.

Could Nashville weather impact Vanderbilt vs South Carolina?

Rain is in the forecast for Saturday afternoon and evening in Nashville. That could make it more difficult for both teams to hold onto the ball and could also impact the kicking game. This season, Vanderbilt has fumbled nine times but lost just two of those fumbles, while South Carolina has fumbled 15 times and lost nine.

Vanderbilt football score prediction vs South Carolina

Vanderbilt 17, South Carolina 14: This looks like a classic spot for a low-scoring game. It could go either way, but Vanderbilt has played well at home this season and that could provide an advantage.

Aria Gerson covers Vanderbilt athletics for The Tennessean. Contact her at agerson@gannett.com or on X, formerly Twitter, @aria_gerson.